Display panel assembly



Sept. 7, 1965 D. s. HOWELL DISPLAY PANEL ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMay 6, 1963 INVENTOR.

DAV/0 5. HUM 62A @fi/Wv /3%fg2Q ATTORNEKS.

Sept. 7, 1965 D. s. HOWELL 3,204,689

DISPLAY PANEL ASSEMBLY Filed May 6, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Y DAV/D S. HOWELL United States Patent 3,204,689 DISPLAY PANEL ASSEMBLYDavid S. Howell, Royal Oak, Mich, assignor to Arlington AluminumCompany, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed May 6, 1963,Ser. No. 278,288 2 (Ilaims. ('Cl. 160-135) This invention relates todisplay devices and, in particular, to display panel assemblies adaptedto receive and hold posters or articles in a variety of positions bestsuited for eiiective display.

One object of this invention is to provide a display mounting panelassembly wherein the material to be displayed, such as posters orarticles, is mounted upon display mounting panel units which are in turnsupported upon the uprights of vertical standards in such a manner as tobe movable into a variety of positions, such rearrangement enhancingdistinctiveness of display as a result of such capability ofrepositioning.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of theforegoing character wherein the display mounting panel units arepivotally connected to the uprights of the standards in such a manner asto be foldable relatively to one another or arranged at various anglesin order to bring about repositioning of the panel units.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of theforegoing character wherein the panels of the display mounting panelunits are mounted in panel frames which in turn carry coupling bracketscircumferentially slidably engageable with stop collars mounted on thestandards so as to be capable of swinging relatively to the standards.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of theforegoing character wherein the coupling brackets are so mounted on thepanel frames as to enable the display mounting panel units to bearranged at the same level or at different height levels withoutrequiring any adjustment or rearrangement of the coupling brackets orcollars or any other parts of the assembly other than to merely invertone or more of the panel units before connecting their coupling bracketsor clips to their respective collars.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of theforegoing character wherein the stop collars are in the form ofupwardly-facing annularly grooved or recessed cups permanently attachedto the standards; and wherein the coupling brackets are in the form ofclips permanently attached to the panel frames, thereby enabling thedisplay mounting panel assembly to be quickly assembled or disassembled,and arranged or rearranged in various positions by unskilled personswithout the use of tools.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of theforegoing character wherein the display mounting panel assembly cansupport unusually heavy articles without collapsing, and can be draggedfrom one position to another along the floor without coming apart.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of theforegoing character wherein the uprights of the standards are formed insections in such a manner as to be capable of being lengthened orshortened as desired, so as to permit the assembly to be set up eitherupon the floor of a room or on a counter or in a show window with araised floor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation, slightly in perspective, of a displaypanel assembly according to one form of the invention, wherein themounting panel units are shown in solid lines to be arranged ondifferent levels with dotted lines showing the mounting panel unitsarranged on the same level;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the display panel assemblyof FIGURE 1, showing the construction in greater detail;

FIGURE 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary view of the upper portion ofthe upright of one of the standards and its panel-supporting collar orcup, together with the pivot brackets or clips and the adjacent portionsof the mounting panel units carried by them, as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 44 in FIGURE 3,but upon a further enlarged scale;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of one of the pivot brackets or clipsattached to a portion of a mounting panel frame, as shown in FIGURES 3and 4; 7

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 6-6 inFIGURE 2, but upon an enlarged scale, showing the pivotal connectingmeans between the lowermost upright section and the base of thestandard;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 77 inFIGURE 2, but upon an enlarged scale, showing the pivotal connectingmeans between two sections of the upright of the standard; and

FIGURES 8 to 12 inclusive are diagrammatic representations, upon areduced scale, showing various different arrangements of the displaymounting panel units of the display mounting panel assembly of FIGURES 1and 2 made possible according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a display mountingpanel assembly, generally designated 20, according to one form of theinvention as consisting generally of a plurality of standards 22composed of bases 16 and sectional uprights 18 to which a plurality ofdisplay mounting panel units 24 are swingably and removably attached bymeans of readily-detachable coupling devices 26. The base 16 of eachstandard 22, of which five are shown in the drawings for purposes ofdemonstration but not limitation, comprises a dished or convexoconcavemember (FIGURE 2) having a dome-shaped upper portion 28 and an annularperipheral lower portion 30 adapted to rest upon the floor or othersupporting surface. Detachably secured to and rising from the base 16are the interchangeable lower and upper coaxial tubular standardsections 32 and 34 respectively of the sectional uprights 18, soconstructed that the lower'sections 32 of each upright 18 may be omittedand the upper section 34 coupled directly to the base 16 by means oflower and upper coupling devices generally designated 36 and 38respectively (FIGURES 6 and 7).

The connecting devices 36 and 38 are similar in principle and eachincludes a pair of axially-spaced cupped discs 40 and 42 mounted inaxially-spaced relationship to one another, such as by welding, near thelower end. 44 of the standard section 32 or 34, each having an upper end46. The cupped discs tit and 42 have central holes 48 therein receivingthe threaded shank of a coupling screw St the head of which is Welded orotherwise fixedly secured to the upper disc 40. The base 16 (FIGURE 6)is provided with a central hole 52 in which is mounted aninternally-threaded tubular plug or bushing 54 longer than the thicknessof the upper portion 28 of the base 16 and secured in any suitable waywithin the hole 52, as by upsetting or cold-heading its opposite ends inthe manner of a rivet. This construction provides the additional lengthof threads which is not possible when the portion 28 of the base 16 isstamped or otherwise formed from sheet metal or from thin cast metal.

Mounted in the upper end 46 of the lower section 32 of each upright 18(FIGURE 7) is an internally-threaded plug 56 held in place by screws 58threaded through radial holes 60 through the side walls of the tube 32into the plug 56. The latter contains a threaded bore 62 which receivesthe corresponding1y-threaded shank of the screw 50. The upper end 46 ofthe upper standard section 34 (FIGURE 3) is closed by a plug or button64 secured therein and having a rounded top.

The readily detachable coupling devices 26 which swingably and readilydetachably connect the display mounting panel units 24 to the standardsor uprights 22 include lower and upper stop collars or coupling stops 66and 68 respectively secured in vertically-spaced relation ship to theupper section 34 of the upright 18 of each standard 22 (FIGURE 2). Eachstop collar or coupling stop 66 or 68 (FIGURES 3 and 4) is in the formof a short sleeve having a central bore 70 in the lower portion thereofadapted to snugly receive the standard section 34,

and in its upper section contains an upwardly-facing larger diametercounterbore or annular recess 72 of enlarged diameter. The stop collarsor coupling stops 68 are secured to the standard section 34 in anysuitable manner, such as by a locking screw 74, for example aself-threading sheet metal screw or drive screw.

Fitting slidably into the counterhore or annular recess 72 of each stopcollar or cup 68 is the laterally-offset end portion 76 or 78 (FIGURES 3and of a lower or upper coupling bracket or clip 80 or 82 respectively,which are mounted at different distances from the lower and upper endsof the panel units 24. Each coupling bracket or clip 80 or 82 has anelongated central attachment portion 84 connected to the ends orcoupling portions 76 and 78 by mutually-perpendicular intermediateportions 86 providing the otfset relationship of the ends 78 to thecentral attachment portion 84, which in turn is drilled to receivescrews 88 (FIGURES 4 and 5) threaded therethrough as at 9.0 into thevertical side rails 92 of the rectangular panel frames 94. The frames 94also include lower and upper horizontal rails 96 and 98 which are ofchannel cross-section (FIGURE 4) receiving the edges of plateshapedpanels 100 and serving as a border frame for the latter. The panelframes 94, coupling brackets or clips 80 and 82 and panels 109collectively constitute the panel units 24. Each mounting panel 160 isprovided with spaced multiple perforations or small pegboard holes 102for facilitating the mounting of articles to be displayed upon the panelunits 24.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the displayassembly 26 is in its disassembled condition and that it is desired toerect it for use upon a door. To accomplish this, the lower and uppersections 32 and 34 of each sectional upright 18 are coupled to oneanother by threading the downwardly-projecting portion of the screw 50(FIGURE 7) into the threaded bore or socket 62 by holding one of thesections 32 or 34 stationary and rotating the other relatively to ituntil the two sections are firmly united to one another with theirabutting ends 44 and 46 in tight engagement (FIGURE 7). Thethusassembled sections 32 and 34 are then united to their respectivebases 16 by rotating each upright 18 as a unit with the lowermost screw50 aligned with the threaded bushing 54 in each base 16 until the lowerend 44 of the section 32 snugly engages the upper portion 28 of the base16.

The standards 22, thus assembled, are then arranged in spaced-apartrelationship to one another at separations of their sectional uprights18 approximately equal to the widths of the panel units 24. The operatorthen grasps each panel unit 24- in his hands and hooks either the end orcoupling portion '76 or the end or coupling portion 78 of the lower andupper clips or pivot brackets 86 and 82 into the counterbores 72 in acorresponding pair of lower and upper stop collars or cups 66 and 68(FIG- URE 2). This operation is preferably carried out by simultaneouslydropping the clip ends or coupling portions 76 or 73 into the cups 66and 68 of two properly spaced adjacent standards 22 in order to mounteach panel unit 24. The operation is then repeated with the remainingpanel units 24 in the manner just described.

As previously stated and shown in FIGURE 2, the upper coupling clip 82is placed nearer to the upper rail 98 than is the lower clip 86 to thelower rail 96. If the panel units 24 are to be mounted at differentlevels, their upper clips 32 are placed uppermost in the panel units 24desired to be positioned on the higher lever, whereas the lower clips 86are placed uppermost by inverting the display mounting panel units 24which it is desired to position on the higher level. The result is shownin FIG- URES 1 and 2 with the first and third display mounting panelunits from the left being lowermost and the second and fourth displaymounting panel units 24 uppermost. If, however, it is desired to placeall of the panel units 24 on the same level, as shown by the dotted linepositions of the second and fourth display mounting panel units 24- inFIGURE 1, all of the upper coupling clips or coupling brackets 82 areplaced uppermost.

Thus, it will be seen that without the aid of tools, the displaymounting panel units 24 and standard 22 can be swingably andquick-detchably secured to one another and placed either on the samelevel or on different levels or swung into the same plane or at variousangles to one another as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 by the swinging actionbrought about by the coupling clip or bracket ends 76 and 78 slidingcircumferentially in the counterbores 72. A zigzag arrangement of thedisplay mounting panel units 24 is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, arectangular arrangement in FIGURE 8, and a cruciform arrangement inFIGURE 9. A W-shaped arrangement is shown in FIG- URE 10, a star-shapedor Wheel-spoke arrangement in FIGURE 11, and a triangular arrangement inFIG- URE 12.

The articles to be displayed are secured by pegs, hooks or other devices(not shown) placed in the performations 102. Posters, placards or othersheet material may be secured to the display mounting panel units 24either by pegs, screws, nails, thumbtacks, push pins or the like.

What I claim is:

I. A foldable display mounting assembly, comprismg a multiplicity ofvertical standards disposed in laterallyspaced parallel relationship,

said standards having bases at the lower ends thereof upright risingfrom said bases, and upper and lower annular coupling stop collarssecured in vertically-spaced relationship to the upper portions of saiduprights,

said stop collars containing upwardly-facing annular recesses extendingtherearound;

a multiplicity of plate-shaped vertical display mounting panel unitsdisposed between said uprights and having parallel opposite verticaledge portions,

and vertically-spaced upper and lower coupling brackets havingattachment portions secured to said opposite vertical edge portions ofsaid panel units and having laterally-oifset hook-shaped portionsextending vertically therefrom into readily detachablecircumferentially-sliding engagement with said annular recesses of saidcoupling stop collars.

5 2. A display mounting panel assembly, according to claim 1, whereinsaid coupling brackets are double-ended, with hook-shaped couplingportions extending in opposite directions from their opposite ends andselectively slidably engageable with said stop collar recesses of saidcoupling stops in response to inversion and reversion respectively ofsaid panel units.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 150,320 4/74Hills 248-124 5/89 Pincus 248-124 2/90 Carey et al 160-351 6/91 Buchholz160-135 7/06 Lynch 182-189 8/26 Rhodes 160-135 10/58 Stifiel 160-135FOREIGN PATENTS 7/49 Germany. 4/28 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

1. A FOLDABLE DISPLAY MOUNTING ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING A MULTIPLICITY OFVERTICAL STANDARDS DISPOSED IN LATERALLYSPACED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP,SAID STANDARDS HAVING BASES AT THE LOWER ENDS THERELOWER UPRIGHT RISINGFROM SAID BASES, AND UPPER AND LOWER ANNULAR COUPLING STOP COLLARSSECURED IN VERTICALLY-SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAIDUPRIGHTS, SAID STOP COLLARS CONTAINING UPWARDLY-FACING ANNULAR RECESSESEXTENDING THEREAROUND; A MULTIPLICITY OF PLATE-SHAPED VERTICAL DISPLAYMOUNTING PANEL DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHTS AND HAVING PARALLELOPPOSITE VERTICAL EDGE PORTIONS, AND VERTICALLY-SPACED UPPER AND LOWERCOUPLING BRACKETS HAVING ATTACHMENT PORTIONS SECURED TO SAID OPPOSITEVERTICAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PANEL UNITS AND HAVING LATERALLY-OFFSETHOOK-SHAPED PORTIONS EXTENDING VERTICALLY THEREFROM INTO READILYDETACHABLE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ANNULARRECESSES OF SAID COUPLING STOP COLLARS.